“Probably not,” she agreed, still waiting.
“He’s giving us the choice. They need our help—that’s pretty clear, but even now, he’s giving us the option. We could stay in the dark and leave it be…”
“Or?” she asked
“Or we blitz forward.”
And when his eyes met hers she let some of her favorite partner-in-crime light filter through them. “I think you already know what I’m going to say, Waters.”
CHAPTER 30: LEE
THE HIDEAWAY was clearing out for the night when Lee finally glanced down at the time. How were they already coming up on 22:00 hours?
A golden glow illuminated their cafe table, where Kat lounged with her legs curled up under her and her arms draped lazily across the surface. She blinked back sleep while her eyes roved over one more hologram in the air.
He still didn’t believe this was real life. How had he ever gotten so lucky as to find her? Not that any part of this felt like luck. This was seven years by her side, losing hope and picking back up again, but never quite giving up. This was endurance. And a fight he’d never yield…
She rubbed her ear against her shoulder, stretching up her long, graceful neck as she got the itch.
But she had never been a choice for him, it was always her.
He blew out a breath as he flicked his eyes back down to his holoblock, the tech behind the hub and the files buried within. Maybe this had never been a choice either.
With how much Lee knew about the General and his plans for Segura—with what Lee knew about their Commander and Gaia, could he ever have said no and walked away? For the promise of a good career as a raider? For the promise ofanything? What wouldn’t he risk for the chance to see things righted?
But again, his eyes landed on Kat’s non-reactant form.
He was here for her, he reminded himself, yet again. He’d chosen to be here, and he intended to make good on that, by whatever means he could, for as long he was able.
Sighing, he began closing out holofiles as they dipped into that twenty-second hour.
“Did we find anything?” Kat murmured, half asleep, her eyes having stopped moving entirely. They were more shut than open by the time he cajoled her into closing out her own holoblock. He had an arm looped around her waist to support her weight as they passed Zane coming into the Hideaway.
“Long night?” Zane chuckled darkly, eyes slipping to Kat. “I’ve seen that look a time or two…”
“Something like that,” Lee said tightly, acutely aware of just how well Zane also knew Kat. And on an intimate level the two of them had yet to cross. But a softness took over his gaze as it fell on her and the dead-set sleepiness setting in. She had been amazing tonight. She pretended to weather it well. But this term had been a lot—for both of them. And it wasn’t even close to over yet.
“Do you two have a raid coming up?” Zane asked, motioning to the holoblocks tucked under their arms. “I didn’t notice anything on the pipeline for you when I was in there earlier.”
There was something too knowing in the way he held his gaze an extra second there at the end.
“Er, not exactly,” Lee said. Very aware how few souls were currently up and about right now and of the chances of him running into Zane. But he wasn’t about to drag anyone else in with them. Not this close to Placement deadlines, and not until he had a better idea what they were facing. So Lee swiftlychanged the subject. “How are things? Has Colonel Accetta been easing up at all?”
“Ask the General,” Zane said, dismissing the notion. “As soon as he cools it, I wager Dad will.”
“We can only hope,” Lee said. For all their sakes. “Anyway, we’re heading up. Have a good night.”
They were barely out of earshot before Kat had straightened a little in his arms. “I always hated the guy, just from how Zane used to speak of him. He always turns the imperfection on his son. A total aggro,” she slurred.
Another reference to their shared past.
“I didn’t actually get the impression you guys ever chatted at all,” Lee said, dryly, surprised she was functioning enough to have caught any of that at all.
“You are jealous,” she sang, as her body slumped deeper into his.
“I think you pick and choose what you want to hear,” Lee countered. But he slung an arm tighter about her waist as they climbed the stairways.
He was jealous—of time wasted. Of time lost. And of the fact that she’d ever needed to have that phase with Zane to begin with. But mostly he was jealous of how quickly these days were slipping by him. He felt like he was on a timer, incessantly ticking. Only the parameters had been fudged, and he didn’t know when it was set to run out.
